Airbus boss says UK has ‘no clue’ how to execute Brexit

The chief executive of Airbus has accused Theresa May’s government of having “no clue” on Brexit.

The comments by Tom Enders came as the prime ministers meets a divided cabinet at Chequers to discuss Britain’s future relationship with the European Union.

Airbus has warned it would leave the UK in the event of a hard Brexit.

“The sun is shining brightly on the UK, the English team is progressing towards the final, the RAF is preparing to celebrate its centenary and HMG (Her Majesty’s Government) still has no clue, no consensus on how to execute Brexit without severe harm,” Mr Enders said at a briefing ahead of the Farnborough air show.

Image:Tom Enders says the company has a duty to voice its concerns about Brexit

“Let’s see what comes out of Chequers: white smoke, black smoke or no smoke,” he added.

Airbus has been joined by a chorus of other companies that have warned jobs are at risk if Britain crashes out of the European Union without an agreement on trade.

Jaguar Land Rover, Britain’s biggest carmaker, warned a no-deal would see its costs rise by £1.2bn because of tariffs. It would need to reconsider £80bn of planned investment, putting at risk 40,000 jobs.

BMW also weighed in, with its customs manager Stephan Freismuth warning the company “cannot” manufacture its products in the UK if Brexit means its supply chain is disrupted.

The intervention by big business in the Brexit debate has strained relations with the government.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has described what he sees as, threats from firms as “completely inappropriate” while Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, a leading Brexiteer, has been quoted as saying “f*** business”.